Projectile



Jana T16, 1945. J. H. CHURCH ETAL PROJECTILE Filed March 22, 1941 W NEYS L&

'| I 1 1 1 I i I 1 I I l INVENTORS Juseph H. Eh ilfred E.Th1b

ATTO

|||||lll II Patented Jan. 16, 1945 PBOJEUIILE Joseph H. Church, Austin, Minn, and Wilfred E. Thibodeau, Cleveland, Ohio Application March 22, 1941, Serial No. 384,698

Claims. (01. 102-64) (Granted under the act of March 3, 1883, as

amended April 30, 1928; 370 0. G. 757) The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government for governmental purposes, without the payment to us of any royalty thereon. I

This invention relates to a projectile.

The purpose of this invention is to provide a novel striker and firing mechanism for projectiles such as a bomb or rifle grenade. The invention is characterized by a readily assembled striker which extends forwardly of the body of the projectile and which is arranged to actuate a primer at the rear of the explosive charge the purpose being to provide at all angles of impact controlled timing of initiation of the charge without having the striker extend through the charge.

The specific nature of the invention as well as other objects and advantages thereof will clearly appear from a description of a preferred embodiment as shown in the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of theimproved projectile;

Figs. 2 and 3 are modifications thereof.

Referring to Fig. 1 there is shown a projectile which comprises a cylindrical easing or body 5 carrying an explosive charge 6 and a primer 1. When the projectile is to serve as a rifie grenade a tube 8 is threaded onto the stem or plug 9 and retains a disk Ill against the base of the body.

The disk is formed with radial grooves II in each of which is placed a firing pin l2, held by any suitable means known in the art, a shear pin l3 being shown. The point of each firing pin is disposed in an aperture I4 in the side of the plug 9 while its outer beveled end l5 extends beyond the periphery of the disk.

The striker is in the form of a cage placed on the outside of the body and it comprises a plurality of bars I6 whose rear ends may rest directly on the beveled ends of the firing pins or which as shown may be connected by a. ring I! having a beveled face l8 engaging the firing pins.

The front ends of the bars extend forwardly of the front edge of the body a distance which is dependent on the velocityof the projectile and the timing that is desired. The front ends of the bars are connected by a grille or a ring ill to insure functioning on inclined impact. A safety pin removable before firing may be provided in any convenient, manner.

On impact the striker is driven rearwardly to actuate the firing pins and set ofi the charge while the body is still moving forwardly. While the firing pins have been shown as being slidably mounted it is obvious that they may be pivotally mounted and that the cage may be employed to trip a spring-actuated firing pin.

In the modification shown in Fig. 2 in which the body 2! has an inclined or tapered rear end,

the arrangement is substantially similar. In this instance the striker 22 is correspondingly shaped and a sleeve 23 carrying firing pins 24 is substituted for the disk and may be threaded on the tube 25.

In Fig. 3 the body 26 is similar to that of Fig. 2 but the striker includes flexible or spring bars 21 which are preferably accommodated in grooves 28 provided in the cast charge 29. The points 30 of the bars are disposed adjacent the space to be occupied by a primer 3|. The tube 32 carrying the primer 3| may be retracted until ready to use in order to remove the primer from the ath of the strikers.

We claim:

1. In a projectile, a main body portion for containing an explosive charge, a sleeve member surrounding said main body and adapted to slide thereon and comprising a forward ring. member and a rearward ring member rigidly joined by longitudinal members, firing means rearward of the said main body, an operative connection between said sleeve member and said firing means operable on rearward motion of said sleeve member, and shear means holding said firing means inoperative with the forward portion of said sleeve member in advance of the forward portion of said main body portion.

2. A projectile comprising a main body portion having an explosive charge, an initiating charge rearward of said explosive charge and a firing means for said initiating charge, said firing means comprising a plurality of radially disposed percussion pins slidably received between the explosive charge and the inner side walls, said body portion and means holding said pins in spaced relation-peripherally of the body portion.

3. A projectile as in claim 2 in which said body portion has an internal profile converging rearwardly to the initiating charge.

4. A projectile comprising a main body of rearwardly converging internal profile, a main explosive charge within said main body, a striker member between said main body and said explosive charge with an impact portion prejacent said body, said member comprising longitudinal arms and means joining said arms, and an initiating charge rearward of the main charge and member comprising longitudinal arms lying in said grooves, means Joining said arms, and

\ primer-carrying means movable into the path of convergence of said arms rearward of the said charge.

JOSEPH H. CHURCH. WILFRED E. 'I'HIBODEAU. 

